Barcelona Director of Football Alemany has turned down Villa - Emery
Mateu Alemany has been Director of Football at Barcelona since 2021
Written by Training Ground Guru — May 18, 2023
MATEU ALEMANY has turned down the chance to become Aston Villa’s Director of Football, Head Coach Unai Emery has confirmed.
Earlier this month Barcelona said the Spaniard would be leaving the Catalan club on June 30th - a year before the end of his contract - to pursue a new “professional project”.
He had received a lucrative offer from Villa and visited their Bodymoor Heath training ground last week. However, Alemany subsequently met Barcelona President Joan Laporta yesterday and was persuaded to reconsider his position.
He has been Director of Football at the Camp Nou since 2021 and has overseen transfers during a challenging financial period.
Prior to this he was General Director at Valencia and President and Chief Executive at Real Mallorca. Damia Vidagany, Emery’s personal assistant, worked with him at Valencia.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of Villa’s trip to Liverpool on Saturday, Emery said: “It was two weeks ago we were speaking about the possibility for him (Alemany) to come here. It was positive and, in the end, he’s not coming.
“We will continue in our project and build up as a club and a team. He is a very good professional with experience. I know him, I sometimes meet with him. But we’re very focused here with the project we have in front. We will try to analyse someone to help us. But now, Mateu Alemany will stay in Barcelona.
“He is in Barcelona and he will continue there. What is the reason? I think Barcelona is a very good team. We were speaking about the possibility but he decided to continue in Barcelona. He’s very respectful with us and, with his decision, we are respectful as well.”
Dane Johan Lange has been Villa’s Sporting Director since July 2020. It was unclear what impact Alemany's arrival would have had on his position at Villa Park.
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